Grazie @con_vivere per questo meraviglioso regalo. Thank you @con_vivere for this wonderful gift. #giuliomassobrio is an Italian writer, passionate about history, especially the World Wars history, whose novel "Rex" was part of the shortlist for the Bancarella Literary Award in 2015. Published by Bompiani Publishing House, Rex is the result of an accurate historical research which took several years, a research that is also mentioned by the author in the Bibliography and the 2 small articles inserted at the end of the novel.The author himself has already revealed in so many interviews the continuous struggle he had to write this novel, a story which as you will see narrates a mysterious "treasure hunt". It's an interesting story which has the right ingredients of a thriller:espionage, death and deadly secrets, escapes from the Nazis, chasing of victims and a great eye for art and the historical period of World War II.Our novel begins in 1938 with Nancy, a young American archeologist with a great passion for art, especially paintings and ancient drawings. During one of her researches, she stumbles into an ancient scroll of great economical value which dates back to the Roman Empire. This is the starting point of the novel, this incredible discovery which can cost the life of so many characters and which is appealing not only to the Nazis but also to the European Allied Nations, especially Great Britain and it could help them win the War.A rich plot with so many motivated and well constructed characters, all of them trying to get their hands on the scroll.However, our main characters remains Rex, a magnificent and imposing Italian Ocean liner with its elegant saloons, rich passengers, war spies, well kept secrets, sudden disappearances.Rex was an Italian Ocean liner built in the 1930s, one of the largest and fastest of its times. It measured 268 meters in length and 37 meters high. However, in 1944 during World War II, it was bombarded by the British and it sank.A well built novel, perfect for the summer. #justfinishedreading, #estateconlibri, #lovereading, #rex, #giuliomassobrio, #bancarella2015, #instabook,
I've finished my first novel in the longlist for Women's Prize for Fiction 2019. I have some issues with this novel. I don't know what to make of it. The first 50 pages were a struggle for me, I even thought of giving up reading it. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads. It is a quick and fun read. It also gives so much information about the situation of women in a corrupt African country. Still I expected more from the characters, especially Korede. I liked her as a narrator, but she is such a void character. She is so passive and silent that she seems unrealistic. I must admit that what first attracted me to this novel were two things: the book cover and the title. However, I am looking forward to reading something else by this author in the future. #mysistertheserialkiller, #oyinkanbraithwaite, #womensprizeforfiction , #bookstagram, #booklover, #bookaddict #bookworm, #readbooks, # just finished reading
This is the second book from the @womensprize longlist that I've just finished. Unfortunately it's the second DNF for me after "My sister the serial killer ". I really wanted to like this story. I've seen so many people rave about it that I went totally blind into it. I enjoyed the beginning (a bit) but as the story developed I began to suffer and it was such a pain to get to the end. I never got to understand this secret relation between Connell and Marianne. Then their lack of communication and so many ackward thoughts, a freaking disturbed relationship. There are so many gaps in this novel. I didn't understand her lack of relationship with her family, her brother 'stato Alan abusive attitude and especially her mother's lack of affection towards her own daughter. Overall there are parts that I liked, others that I found ackward and others that I felt totally disturbing. #womensprizeforfiction, #bookworm, #normalpeople, # Sally Rooney, #bookstagram, #booklover, #leggerelibri, #bookaddict, #bookaholic, #finishedread
Just finished reading another @womensprize novel "An American Marriage". It was another 3 stars reading for me. I liked a lot the reading style, the prose was just beautiful. I also liked how the author presents us a story from different points of view and how each chapter bears the name of a character. It is thought provoking on so many levels 8 since it tackles many moral themes related to loyalty, marriage, race, human rights. However, I expected more from the characters. I didn't like them much and I didn't feel part of the story. The plot was OK at the beginning but then it became so cheesy.
This novel will definitely be my favourite novel for 2019, even though the year hasn't finished yet. It's the first time I discover @cinzialeoneautrice and I'm in love with her writing style. I'm going to search for more of her books. What a great challenge to read this novel of more than 600 pages. In spite of its length and weight I devoured it in a few days. Three different stories about 3 different women (Miriam, Giuditta and Esther ) whose life story is somehow related at the end. In the first story we follow Miriam, a Muslim woman whose husband decides in 1936 to steal the name and life of a Hebrew business man. In the second story we follow Giuditta, a Hebrew girl who loves only swimming and whose life changes in the Second World War when she is thrown out of school and she does nothing but escaping and hiding from the Nazis. In the third story we follow Esther half Christian, half Hebrew who accepts an arranged marriage to a mysterious business man. All these stories build one novel in which we come to reflect about the importance of history, identity, religion and tolerance.
When you discover that one of the writers on the @womensprize longlist was born in the same country as you are...what do you do? Cry out of joy!!! Looking forward to reading this novel!!! I haven't read any reviews on the net so I am going totally blind into it! Beginning to read it tonight. What are you reading?
